75 reviews of this school

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Franklin Road Academy5

Posted January 11, 2015
- a parent

Wow! What can I say? I love this place! The teachers are challenging, yet caring. I really like the middle school dean and the new head of school, Mr. Casey. If you are looking for a place for your whole family and where your children are challenged and supported academically, this is it!

My sons graduated from FRA. This school has meant so much to our family. We are blessed to have been a part of FRA for many years and look forward to the great things to come. There are so many wonderful things happening!!!

I am a graduate of FRA and a current parent. I feel so blessed to have my two boys as a part of the FRA community because the faculty and staff know them, love them and pour into them daily. My boys are very different but FRA has been such a great place for both of them. The academics are challenging, the opportunities are endless and the spiritual piece is something that is very important to our family. Very few schools do strong academics and Christian mission well. FRA is one of those few. The new headmaster, Sean Casey, is the real deal. He is an authentic leader who is honest, driven, and cares about the quality of the staff and education that FRA provides. He even teaches in the upper school! In addition to Mr. Casey, the Deans in the lower, middle, and upper schools are stellar. I could not be more excited to be a part of this community! I encourage anyone looking at independent schools in Nashville to look at FRA.

Franklin Road Academy does a great job executing on its mission of providing an excellent education in an inclusive Christian community. My daughter recently shadowed in the Upper School and I could not have been more impressed. The school offers a great value for the tuition. I loved the fact that there is a writing and math lab that students can use not only when they are struggling with a topic or paper but to achieve at a level they didn't even know possible. While their college placements are impressive, they care more about WHO they send to college than where they attend. This is a school that knows what's important! My daughter even commented that she loved the way the teachers and students interacted with one another. She said she could tell the faculty knew the students well and really cared about them!

I am an alumna of FRA, and was a student here for 6 years. The way the admistration treated me, I wouldn't send my worst enemy's child here. I was being sought out by another student daily for three years and they refused to intervene. The values that this school portrays are distorted and only come to play when it is helpful to the admistration. Zero tolerance may be written in every school handbook and on the walls to comfort incoming parents and students, but it means nothing when you are actually in need of help.

We spent our middle school years at this school. The academics, I finally discovered, were very good, and a few teachers hit the mark precisely. A lot is demanded of the teachers, and they, and the office staff are kind, and connect well with the students. We participated in many ways, such as being room parents, but there was no "family" feeling there. In fact, we disagreed with 7th graders being required to have laptops due to all the social media problems and its huge distraction on academics, much to the outright scorn of some parents. Though FRA had not done it before so it was rough-going, the school allowed our student to take classes above the grade level, and we were grateful for that. The religion distracted from academics, and dominated the schedule over academics. There aren't many good school choices in Nashville, without built-in, time-wasting distractions such as public school fighting, and religious dogma, without breaking the bank. We did not see much bullying, but many students were pampered with designer wardrobe obsessions and were so stunted socially that, later on, they do not remain in out-of-town colleges to be close to mom and dad's money.

My son just graduated this school and is now heading to Belmont. If you are looking for an excellent education with good Christian morals and ethics then hands down this the best you'll get. You'll be double blessed if you have Mrs. Blevins, coach Furgeson, or Mr.Chandler for anything.

If you like Arts, then this is not the school for you. "Integrity and Balance" is their slogan- the two things the school does NOT have. Balance? Please. Balance if you're into sports. The divide between the athletics and the arts would be comical, if it wasn't so...not comical. And the athletics aren't even that good. Instead of snubbing the departments that are actually worth something, maybe they should re-evaluate what they put stock into over there. At the very least they should equally support all aspects. Hey, FRA? You need to check yourself, before you wreck yourself (which at the rate you're going, I give you 5 years). Good luck!

There is no perfect independent or public school system, but if you are looking for a challenging academic environment in a private setting Franklin Road academy fits the bill. The faculty and facilities are top notch. Scholars with integrity and balance is the school motto and is reflected in the students daily life on campus. For the past 7 years the academy has grown and weathered challenges. Sadly, when parents or the student isn't happy they attack or blame the school and slander the institution. Here's a thought, if it's not a fit for your family, then there are plenty of other options, but one families negative experience might be another families ideal environment. Weigh your options and make your own decision. Franklin Road Academy just might be what you're looking for.

I have had children at FRA for 12 years and this past year was by far the best! The last posts in this site DOES NOT reflect the school that I know and love. My children are extremely happy, as am I. We have INCREDIBLE heads of school, much better than the ones we had in the past, and we have an incredible Head of School coming in from a top Atlanta private school. Yes, we had a large amount transfers last year, but the quality of education has only gotten better. It would be hard to find a better, more caring school.